Like the nocturnal bird
they’re named after, Owl Trio creates after-hour flights of fancy with a
deceptively simple approach to making music. For their debut release, guitarist
Lage Lund, saxophonist Will Vinson and bassist Orlando le Fleming take
unhurried reads of standards (“I Should Care,” Coltrane’s “Dear Lord,” “From
This Moment On”) with a reverential approach and keen desire to peel away any
staid impressions of these songs. On them and four originals by the bassist,
the trio excels at playing these tunes with affection for melody and lyricism.
The musicians already knew each other well and their familiarity strikes a
perfect balance between Vinson’s buttery tone, le Fleming’s rich and nimble
bass and Lund’s acoustically warm fingerings. Recorded and produced by the
illustrious Jimmy Katz in an abandoned Brooklyn church (the sonics are killer
on this disc,) the Owl Trio obviously has a love affair with their material and
though the album may not have the lilt of a bossa nova record, the trio conveys
the same warmth, beauty and good feeling with their like-minded interplay and
fleet performances. (11 tracks; 62 minutes) www.owltrio.com